SCOPE OF UCD SMJ

The UCD SMJ accepts and publishes a diverse array of articles that are health-related. This includes original research articles in areas of biomedical technology, basic science, translational, clinical and surgical disciples of medicine, commentary on health policy, interview and career pieces, reflections on patient perspectives and medical ethics. Most pieces that are health-related will be acceptable.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

→ Who can apply?

We will accept articles from undergraduate and post-graduate students in any program of study! Articles can be on any topic, but should have a healthcare angle.

→ What sort of articles are we looking for?

We are looking for an array of article topics and styles. Both finished and in-progress articles or concepts are accepted. Please download our Author Manual or refer below to the Article Types section for more information.

You will receive an email from UCDsmj to confirm receipt of your submission. The UCDsmj editorial team will be in touch soon!

→ What happens next?

Initial submissions will be assessed by the UCDsmj editorial team for quality and adherence to article type guidelines. A short-list will be generated from the submissions received, and if selected, authors will work closely with a member of the editorial team to prepare the submission for peer review. Articles will then be forwarded for internal peer review by the UCDsmj Academic Panel.

Any author whose article requires revisions will be notified and given a revised deadline for submission of the corrected manuscript. It is the responsibility of the author to ensure that the corrected article is submitted by this deadline with all requests fulfilled.

The UCDsmj editorial team will then select articles for publication from all revised and peer-reviewed submissions. It cannot be guaranteed that all submissions reaching the peer review and article revision stage will be published. Finished but unpublished articles may be kept on file for consideration in a future edition of the publication.

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2018/19 EDITION ARE CURRENTLY OPEN!

Article types

The UCDSMJ accepts articles that fall within the following categories:

Original Student Research

Review Articles

Case Reports

Interviews

Abstracts

Commentary

Research News

Travel Briefs and Elective Experiences

Ethical Discussions

Careers

Patient Perspectives

Artwork

If you are unsure as to which category your piece falls, please email us. If your piece does not fall into one of the above areas, but is a health-related article, please contact us.

Please note that articles can be rejected without review on the basis of not being formatted correctly or properly referenced.

For a quick guide on how to write these articles please see here. For full details please refer to the Article Specific Guidelines.

original student research

Description: Original clinical, laboratory or other research conducted by students, including SMMS projects.

abstracts

Description:Concise summary of original student research.

Required Sections: Title, Background, Methods, Results.

Word Count: 250.

References: Maximum 2.

Commentary

Description: Can span a wide range of medically related topics and should aim to provide an individual perspective or express and opinion on a medial issue. These articles could report on topical medical issues, policies, conferences or personal experiences in the field of medicine.

Required Sections: Title, Body Text, Acknowledgements, References.

Word Count: 1500.

References: Maximum 15.

Research News

Description: Can span a wide range of medically related topics and recent developments in these fields. May include a discussion of this research’s impact on current health policy or medical practice. These articles could report on basic science, translational, surgical, clinical or public health research.

Careers

Description: Insight into careers related to the medical field, either of a doctor or those who work in a healthcare related field (e.g. scientific researcher, allied healthcare professional). Could provide commentary on the current state of the field and effects of recent developments on the future of the profession.

Patient Perspectives

Description: Patient’s perspective on health research and practice (e.g. integration of physical and mental health to improve patient outcomes, placing patient-centred care at the core of medical education)

Artwork

Description: Includes photographs, cartoons, digital artwork, drawings and paintings. Should include accompanying description or interpretation. If associated with another article this should be stated and they may be published together.